Loudspeaker assembly



R. D. SCHOTTER LOUDSPEAKER ASSEMBLY June 8, 1965 Filed July 18, 1963 Fig.2.

INVENTOR Richard D. Schoner WITNESSES ATTORN United States Patent Ofiice 3,188,374 LOlUlZvdPEA Ell Richard D. Schotter, Pompton Plains, Nib, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pin, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed .l'uly i3, 19%, her. No. 2%,ll23 3 Claims. (U1. 181-31) This invention relates to a loudspeaker or acoustic system and more particularly to a means for mounting a loudspeaker on a loudspeaker panel.

It is an object of the invention to provide a mounting for a loudspeaker which minimizes vibrations effected by the loudspeaker, to the panel on which the loudspeaker is mounted.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a mounting for a loudspeaker which requires a very simple procedure for mounting a loudspeaker on a sound panel.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a loudspeaker mounting means for mounting a loudspeaker on a panel so that the loudspeaker can be easily removed from the panel and easily replaced by another loudspeaker.

It is a feature of the invention to provide a loudspeaker mounting means for mounting a loudspeaker on a panel wherein a resilient member is provided between the loudspeaker and the aperture in the panel so that a portion of the resilient member is compressed wh n the loudspeaker is mounted within the aperture of the panel with overlapped portions of the resilient member eifecting vibratory damping between the loudspeaker frame and the panel in the grill for the loudspeaker;

These and other advantages of this invention will be more clearly understood from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: 7

FIGURE 1 is an isometric layout of a loudspeaker assembly embodying the invention; 7

FIG. 2 is an isometric assembled view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view taken along lines lillll of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view taken along lines IV-lV of FIG. 2.

As shown in the drawing the loudspeaker assembly includes a loudspeaker mounting panel ltl having first and second major surfaces and 14. Fanel it? is relatively thin and rectangular in shape and having a circular aperture 11 therein. Outwardly from the aperture 11 are four circularly disposed slots 12 in the panel ill). The slots 12 are employed to mount a speaker-mounting grill over the aperture ill, on the panel 163.

The speaker grill assembly 2i) is circular in shape having an outer circular flange portion 21 with a circular grill work 22 secured at its ends to the circular flange 2i. Extending outwardly from the flange 21 are twist tabs 23 which as shown in FIG. 1 can be aligned with the slots 12 in panel l-li. The speaker-grill assembly Zii is mounted on the panel by inserting the four twist tabs 23 into the slots 12 and rotating them so as to provide a secure connection between the grill assembly 2d and the panel 10. The tabs 23 after twisted are as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

The speaker assembly also includes a circular gasket or resilient means 39 having an inside diameter D2 and an outside diameter D3. The diameter of the circular aperture 11 is designated as D1. As will be noted in FIG. 3, the inner diameter D2 of member 3% is substantially smaller than the diameter D1 in aperture 11 and the outer diameter D3 of gasket 36 is substantially larger than the diameter D1 of aperture 11. In the assembly of the speaker assembly, the gasket 3d is centered on the 3,188,374- l atentetl June 8, 1965 center of the aperture 11 and an overlapping or outer portion 32 as shown in FIG. 3 is glued to or secured to the surface 13 of the speaker-mounting panel ill. The gasket 3t? is made of some resilient material preferably a urethane such as a urethane foam.

A speaker dd as is illustrated in the drawings has a conventional vibrating diaphragm 41 with a conventional voice (not shown) coil thereon inserted into a magnetic air ap assembly (not shown) which is positioned in a magnetic housing The speaker as has a frame having a spider portion 43 in a circular peripheral ring member 44 secured to the front of the spider supporting portion The circular member 44 has an outer diameter U i slightly less than the diameter Di of aperture 11; further, the outer diameter Be is substantially larger than the inner diameter D2 of the gasket 3%.

The speaker mounting assembly of the present invention has particular utility for mounting relatively small speakers such as for portable transistor radios of the subminiature type. As will be understood in radio receivers of this type there is frequently a problem in preventing the speaker from effecting vibrations to other portions of the receiver such as to the panel to which the receiver is mounted and in addition to the metallic grill placed in front of the speaker.

As stated above in mounting the speaker assembly shown in the drawings, the resilient gasket 3% is centered on the axis of aperture ill so as to be positioned as shown in FIG. 3. The resilient gasket fail is secured in place and positioned as shown in FIG. 3 (concentric with aperture ll), by gluing the outer portion 32 overlapping the surface 13 to surface 13 by glue or some other suitable bonding means. The speaker ill is then positioned with its axis coaxial with the axis, or" aperture 11 and gasket 30 into a position as shown in FIG. 3. The speaker is then forced inwardly towards the aperture 11 so as to compress a middle circular portion 34 of gasket 3i) and is then forced inwardly to a position as shown in FIG. 4. in this position, the circular ring member 44 of speaker compresses the middle portion 34 of gasket 30 so as to form a firm fit between the rim 44 and the inner edges of the aperture In addition, an inner portion 36 of gasket is thereby forced through the aperture 11 and in contact with grill 22. The speaker grill member 20 is preferably secured to the panel lb before the speaker id is mounted. The inner portion 36 of gasket forced through aperture 11 will in such a case contact the grill portion 22 and act as a damping means for the vibrations that could be set up in the grill section 22 or at any portion of the grill member Thus, in the mounted position as shown in FIG. 4 and PEG. 2, the speaker is releasably held in the aperture 11 by the compression forces effected by the circular frame member on the resilient gasket 38. When it is desired to remove the speaker as, for example when speaker replacement is necessary, the speaker ill can be pulled outwardly from aperture 11 so that the gasket 3d tends to assume its original position as shown in FIG. 3. As stated above, the mounting and the removal of the speaker 49 by the above-described mounting means, is particularly applicable for relatively small speakers (such as 2 inch speakers) where the weight of the speaker is not large and therefore the forces required are quite small.

While 1 have described the above principles of my invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made by way of example and not as a limitation of the scope of the invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in the accompanyin claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A loudspeaker assembly comprising a mounting panel having first and second major surfaces with an aperture extending therebetween, a loudspeaker having a circular peripheral frame member positioned in said aperture, and a resilient member having a first center portion in compression between said frame member and edges of said aperture, a second portion bonded to said first major surface and a third portion extending outwardly from said second major surface.

2. A loudspeaker assembly comprising a panel having first and second major surfaces with an aperture extending through said panel, a loudspeaker having a rigid peripheral frame member of a configuration similar to that of said aperture and of a dimension slightly less than thatof said aperture, and a resilient, compressible member having at least three portions, said first portion abutting said firstmajor surface, said second portion being compressibly wedged between said frame member and the edge of said aperture to hold said loudspeaker in place, said third portion extending outwardly beyond said second major surface.

3. A loudspeaker assembly comprising a panel having first and second major surfaces with an aperture therein of a first dimension, a loudspeaker having a rigid peripheral frame member with a configuration similar to that of said aperture,

the outer diameter of said first V member being of a second dimension which is slightly less than said first dimension, a'resilient member having an inner dimension which is less than said second dimension and an outer dimension which is greater than said first dimension, and a grill secured to said second surface, said resilient member having at least three portions, said first portion secured to said first surface, said second portion being wedged between said frame member and the edge of said aperture, said third portion extending beyond said second surface and resiliently contacting said grill to prevent said grill from vibrating.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,028,606 6/ 12 Rinehart 181-31 1,819,499 8/31 Conrad 181-31 2,718,931 9/55 Boudouris 181-31 2,797,766 7/57 Sullivan 18131 2,878,375 3/59 Schachtel 18131 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,245,024 9/ 60 France.

LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. A LOUDSPEAKER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A MOUNTING PANEL HAVING A FIRST AND SECOND MAJOR SURFACES WITH AN APERTURE EXTENDING THEREBETWEEN, A LOUDSPEAKER HAVING A CIRCULAR PERIPHERAL FRAME MEMBER POSITIONED IN SAID APERTURE, AND A RESILIENT MEMBER HAVING A FIRST CENTER 